Electric-clock movement



(No Model.)

s. 0. DICKINSON.

ELECTRIC GLOOK MOVEMENT.

No. 334,517. Patented Jan. 19,1886.

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Uiviran STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

SILAS G. DICKINSON, OF \VILTON, IOW'A.

ELECTRlC-CLOCK MOVEMENT.

Application filed September 28, 1885. Serial No. 178,3

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, Sirius O. DICKINSON, of l/Vilton, county ofllluscatinefitate of Iowa,and a citizen of the United States, have invented an Improved Automatic Electric'Glock Movement, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an automatic electric circuit-closing device, and is particularly adapted to be used in connection with the mechanical movements of clocks and other timepieces, and similar mechanisms; and my invention consists in the combination of devices hereinafter particularly described, and as more at length recited in the claims.

In the drawingis shown the devices embodying my invention, in elevation, in connection with the actuating mechanism of a clock.

A is an electro-magnet.

B is an armature pivoted at Z) and extended to form an armature-lever, B.

C is a spring rigidly held at one end by a suitable clamp, as shown at c, or other equivalent device, and with its free end in line, or substantially so, with the armature lever, as shown.

At D is shown a drum mounted to revolve on a shaft, (Z, and placed intermediate the armature-lever and the spring 0, as shown. This drum has fixed to it a ratchet, D, furnished with a pawl, d. A cord, E, is secured at one end to the armature lever, preferably by an adjusting'screw, e, as shown, and passes thence to and around the drum, making preferably several turns on same, and thence passes to and is attached to the free end of the spring 0. The cord is of such length that when the armature is in contact with the magnet the spring will be flexed, as shown in the drawing.

F is a bar arranged to slide in ways or guides, as shown, and placed immediately above the end of the armature lever, and is provided with thetwo depending studs or arms f and f, capable of engagement by the extremity of the armaturelever.

G and G are two spring bars or flexible tongues,mounted in suitable clamps and placed in the circuit of the battery G as shown.

i103? forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,517, dated January 19, 1886.

(No model.)

These tongues are arranged parallel to each other, and so placed relatively to the bar F that an arm, f carried by said bar, is capable of engagement with one of said tongues. The said bar F is capable of suflieient movement in its ways to have the tongue engaged by its arm f thrown or drawn into contact with the other tongue when said bar moves in one direction, and to be released from such contact by the movement of the said bar in the re verse direction. The tongues have the contact-pointsf as shown.

It is evident that when the tension of the spring 0 has drawn the armaturelever so as to swing it to and bring it in engagement with the armf of the bar F, the said bar will be carried in the same direction by the action of the spring until the arm f thereof causes the tongue G to be in contact with the tongue G. XVhen this has occurred, the circuitis thereby closed and the electro-magnet A is instantly excited and attracts the armature B. As the armature moves to the magnet, the armaturelever pulls upon the cord E,rotates the drum D, and flexes the spring 0. hen the armature has come in contact with the magnet, the end of the armature-lever should engage the arm f of the bar F, and throw the bar reversely so that its arm f 2 releases the tongue G, which thereupon retreats from the tongue G, whereby the circuit is broken. The spring 0 being thus released, operates through the drum and its ratchet and pawl to rotate the shaft (2. This operation, and the alternate opening and closing of the circuit, and the consequent rotation of the shaft in one direction are continuous.

The above-described devices are specially adapted to maintain a clock mechanism in constant motion. In the drawing the drum is shown on the shaft carrying the operatingpinion of a clock, as at H, and the escapewheel I and pendulum K are shown. As the circuit is closed by the tension of the spring, the clock-pinion will berevolved, and during the instant when the circuit is closed the pendulum will by its momentum continue the revolution of the pinion, the drum being during this instant reversely rotated, while the spring is being again flexed by the action of the magnet and armature. The circuit being then immediately broken, the spring will again act through the cord and drum to maintain the movement of the pinion.

It will be understood that any other form of spring than that shown at C may be employed,

5 so that a weight may be substituted therefor.

It will be further understood that any known and equivalent devices may be substituted intermediate the spring 0 and the armature-1ever to give to the shaft d the continuous mo- 0 tion in one direction, as set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with an electro-magnet and its armature-lever, and the spring 0, and

15 shaft d, and devices, substantially as described,

whereby the tension of said spring operates to rotate the shaft, of the bar F, carrying arms f, f, and f and movable, as described, and the tongues G and G in the battery circuit,

20 constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with an electro-magnet and its armature-lever acted upon by mechanism, substantially as described, to be drawn from the magnet, of the sliding bar F, carry-' ing the arms f, f, and f and the parallel tongues or bars G and G, placed in the batterycireuit, and constructed and arranged to opcrate as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the magnet A, armature B, carrying armature-lever B, spring 0,

drum D on shaft d, with its ratchet D, andpawl d, the cord E, sliding bar F, carrying arms f, f, and f and the flexible, tongues G and G, in the battery-circuit, together with the pinion H, escape-wheel I and pendulum K, in a clock mechanism, all constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purpose specified.

SILAS O. DICKINSON.

WVitnesses:

J. D. WALKER, J. L. PENTZER. 

